“Cycle Three: Should the curriculum address controversial issues?”

“Cycle Three: Should the curriculum address controversial issues?”

Finally! A question I feel like I can answer. Yes, curriculum should address controversial issues. While, I wholeheartedly feel this is the case, the execution of this can sometimes be difficult for a variety of reasons.

I work at a charter school in Arizona that prides itself in “teaching the whole child” through character education in addition to academic education. Charter schools rely on parent choice in order to viable schools. Additionally, I’m not sure how much you all know about Arizona, but it’s conservative. Conservative in every sense of the word: politically, socially, etc (The only thing that isn’t conservative is the way people dress since it’s so darn hot all the time). Putting all of these elements (charter school, character ed., and conservative culture) together can make it difficult to address controversial issues in the classroom. Now, I am not saying that to discuss controversial issues in the classroom has to be in poor taste or go against character education; though I do feel the parents in our school community may hold this viewpoint from time to time.

Part of our staff on "Mix It Up Day" a plus is we get to dress wild and crazy; it helps students let their guard down a bit!

Let me give an example, every year my school puts on a school wide event called “Mix It Up Day.” This day’s primary purpose is teaching tolerance and acceptance in various capacities (race, religion, appearance, sexuality, gender, I could go on). Many of our activities are also centered on anti-bullying and awareness of one’s own actions. We watch short films, do a “cross the line” activity, “if you really knew me,” and last year we even did a “tunnel of oppression.” Even though this is quite possibly my favorite day of the year; it seems that our attendance is always lower on this day. Why is that? There are two reasons: 1). Some of the older students who have been through the day before have become desensitized to it. 2). Many parents choose to keep their children home on this day for fear that it promotes a “homosexual” agenda. Now, I realize this post is supposed to be about controversial issues and their place in the curriculum. Even as I write this, I question whether or not things like race, religion, and sexuality should really be considered “controversial.” However, my reality is that they are. So many of the parents at my school sound like the parents quoted in Eckholm’s (2010) NY Times article.

Part of me even empathizes with these parents. I do teach at a campus that serves students in grades 6-12. Should a sixth grader be learning about suicide for the first time at school through watching a short film about an LGBTQ teen who had enough; or should a sixth grader learn racial slurs by walking through the tunnel of oppression? We choose, as a campus, to do different activities based on varied age range of our students. However, is it for us to determine what is or is not appropriate for students to be exposed to at a young age? Or is it the parents who should decide? While it might not be controversial, I remember my mother feeling frustrated that I was taught about drug and alcohol abuse as a second grader—I came home thinking my dad was an alcoholic because he might have a couple of beers with dinner.

That being said, we do our best to be age appropriate in our planning for “Mix It Up Day.” If parents do not agree with our judgments, then I suppose it is their prerogative to keep their child home. However, I feel absolutely thankful that despite the occasional parental pushback, we still do “Mix It Up Day” every year. Even if it helps just one child in our school feel more comfortable with who they are, then it’s worth it. I imagine that an event like this one would have been beneficial for Joel Burns while growing up.

Now, I can’t say this is directly tied to “Mix It Up Day,” but I have no doubt in my mind that the event helped; one day two years ago in my senior English class a student asked to make an announcement before we got started. I said yes and the student walked to the front of the room to announce that she was transgender and would like to now be called Vic instead of Ann. Needless to say, I was not expecting this announcement and I don’t think the rest of the class was either. But I could not have been prouder with their reaction, most of the class clapped and many people told Vic how brave they thought he was after class. I can’t help but think that the school culture “Mix It Up Day” helps to establish played a role in Vic’s decision to come out to our class.

While it makes my heart happy to reflect on this story, I am a bit ashamed at my own response. While I felt very proud of Vic, I worried. I worried about the reaction of some of the other students (and more so their parents) if they found out. So, I called my boss and told him. Needless to say, Vic had not yet come out to both of his parents yet (they are divorced), and my principal held a meeting to help Vic come out to his father since 30 other students knew and soon enough more would. Unfortunately this was something Vic’s father was not ready to accept and asked that we all go back to calling Vic Ann instead. I think about Vic often and feel grateful that he felt comfortable enough in our school so come out in such a public way before even coming out at home.

Now we get to the point of my story, curriculum should indeed discuss controversial issues; however, it must be done so carefully. It’s worth it. As most people said in their introductions and earlier posts, part of education is helping to create students who are productive members of society. Regardless of the backlash, students need to know how to accept others (perhaps not agree with, but accept) who may be different from them in appearance, lifestyle, viewpoints, etc. The crux of my viewpoint is that controversial issues should be taught in schools in order to promote tolerance and acceptance.